Instant Reaction, Full Blast
by Adja
Summary: AU end of 3.19. When Dick gets the vid, he reacts instead of showing it to Logan, not even thinking of doing so. Out of guilt, out of anger, out of his feelings for Veronica. What ? Can't Dick respect a girl he feels guilty for having hurt in the past ?


Veronica was stirring the coffee with her drinking straw. She sighed, bored beyond sleepiness. "Something wrong ?" Piz asked. They were sharing a date in the middle of the Food Court, before Piz started his new shift at the radio station. She looked up at her boyfriend, wondering what wasn't wrong. She had been feeling odd since yesterday. Since... they had...

She wasn't shy about having sex, and she usually enjoyed it. But she was the kind that made love. And there had been no love. It hadn't been horrible, she just hadn't loved him. She knew she couldn't tell him about that, because he would think she was still in love with Logan. Which... not.

She loved Logan, but she wasn't 'in love' anymore. She might love him a different way that she loved Wallace, but he was only a very important friend to her. Nope, this wasn't about Logan. This was about her.

She had had the realization that she didn't want him... the way she'd thought she did. She had been right the first time. Piz was cute and nice, but she didn't _want_ him. _And how am I supposed to tell him that ? Besides, that was great. _Usually when a couple crossed that line not just after the first date, it meant taking their time and some kind of committeemen.

For her, right now, it meant a huge urge to skedaddle. To wake up and realize that Piz wasn't her boyfriend, that she hadn't pulled him in a trap that would hurt him way more than her.

She was no bitch. She just... didn't love him. "I'm fine. Just tired I guess." _Talk to Wallace, ASAP. He'd give me a hint of what to do._ She sighed again and sipped a little more coffee. _Cold coffee. _She smirked. As she looked up she saw Dick throw open the double door and stride furiously in the area.

Her lips parted and the straw escaped her lips as she realized he was heading approximately... right toward them. Piz glanced at him, then went back to Veronica, seemingly not noticing the avenger style in Dick's behavior.

Dick kept his pace and slammed a chair out of his way, that knocked over a table at a few food trays in its course. The brown-haired guy looked up again at the commotion, but too late. Dick grabbed him by surprise and yanked him off his chair. Veronica rose, startled, eye wide. "Dick !" But he just was too angry to even notice her. He kicked Piz in the ribs nastily and the boy yelped in pain. "I bet she doesn't even know, huh ??!!" he shouted.

Veronica froze. _Who ? Who doesn't know ?__What did Piz do ?_ Dick grabbed Piz by the shirt and smashed him on their table. _What did Dick think Piz did ? _Her boyfriend had been totally unprepared, and he could only reached for Dick's shoulder as he punched him harshly.

"Dick, stop !!" He was yelling so loud that he was almost spitting on Piz. "She doesn't even know that you tapped her, you fucking morron ??!!" He bit his bottom lip, his face contorted by anger, Veronica wondered if he was teary. "How can you people keep doing that to _her_, huh ??!! Dude, she hadn't been abused enough for you ??!!" he gestured toward her, still holding Piz by the collar.

"Dick, enough !!" But he punched Piz another time, only acknowledging her presence when he heard her taser buzz. "Dick, you better have a _very good_ explanation." she uttered threateningly. "Veronica !" She almost chocked when she heard him call her name like that. He'd always called her Ronnie. Like Logan used to do, before... She searched in his eyes for something else that the mad light. "Veronica." he uttered more softly.

"Veronica, the tape, he put it on the net. You're everywhere." She shook her head, confused. "What do you mean ? What tape ?" Dick's expression closed, and he turned to Piz again. His hand reached for his neck and threatened to choke him. "I knew it... I knew you wouldn't even agree for a sex tape !! You're a cool girl, it's not your style." She gasped, glanced at Piz, who was looking bad, but she didn't even register it, before turning back to Dick. "What ?" She swallowed. "Piz would nev-..." "I saw it !!" Dick spat. "Come on Veronica, I saw it with my very eyes..." He threw his arms in the air helplessly. "I god I thought I would love that ! But it made me sick... After what happened to you... what I did to you..." his voice died.

Dick was vibrating with contained anger, but he seemed exhausted. He sounded completely honest. Piz whipped the blood off his nose and watched his girlfriend walk gently to the guy that had just pummeled him. "_You_ didn't do it to me, Dick, ok ? You hear me? You didn't. You made a drunk mistake. But it wasn't _you _that did it." He shook his head, his arms dangling helplessly at his sides, feeling powerless. Her soft hand on his arm draining all his strength and anger.

Until Piz spoke, and adrenaline shot again. "What's going on ? What is he talking about ??" "I got her raped !!! You prick ! " Dick barked, and he shot a look at Veronica. "You bastard, I guess she never trusted you enough to tell you that, huh ??" He sneered. "How does it feel that I know ? That my buddy Wallace knows ?? And not you... the precious boyfriend ?" Dick shook his head, disdainful. "God, you're almost as twisted as he was." his voice had edged on pathetic, getting louder, like he was about to cry.

Veronica shivered. "What tape ? Dick... explain this." He dragged her aside. "There's a video of you and Piz... having sex... Someone emailed it to me..." He grabbed Piz that had started to get to his feet and back away. "Come back here, you-..." He trailed off because of Veronica's look. They'd gathered a huge crowd but were completely oblivious.

Veronica shook her head, this couldn't be happening. "Unless it's a video from the future, that's not possible. We haven't had sex." Dick titled his head on the side, shoving Piz aside with his palm on his chest. The brown boy watched the scene in disbelief. He couldn't get why Veronica wasn't kicking Dick down. He knew she liked Logan because he was manly and always jumped in action for her. He knew he wasn't this kind of guy, and he'd hoped he could be good for her too. He'd actually started believing it. But seeing Dick act like this, it seemed to him that yet another surfer had entered the ring. _The ring..._ He touched his aching nose. _Pretty accurate._

Dick let out a breath. "Okay. Well, I mean, you were naked and fooling around. I assumed." "And you thought you were gonna destroy Piz instead of warning me ?" She got angry. "You are crazy !" He shouted at her face. "Well, _that _runs in the family !!" She took a set back, feeling his pain. He looked down. "At least _I_ was trying to do something right." he muttered. She started to reach out for his arm but he spoke again.

"It's his room. I swear, I recognized it. Logan and I stopped by once to get Wallace." She shook hear head. It wasn't possible. The world was spinning. She was dreaming. No, having a nightmare. "It's not..." Dick met her eyes. "Ronnie I'm sorry. I wish I could..." He walked back to Piz again, balling his hand. Veronica yelled. "Dick no !! Leave him alone. I've got to..." She pressed her hands on her temples. "I... I just need to see the video."

"Veronica !" Piz called, looking baffled that she wasn't defending him. She looked at him sadly. "No... I'm... sorry. I can't." She looked at Dick. "It can't be him." Dick peeked at Piz, then looked back at her. "Well... let's make sure, first. Cause that pinhead is so sweet and so nice that it has to be a flaw somewhere !"

A cloud passed in Dick's eyes and she understood the reference. He might have acted cool all year long, but he was scared deep inside his soul. She wondered if it was his brother's death or his betrayal that hurt the most. He spoke again, softly. "I've got it on my computer. I can show it to you. You wanna trace it, right ?"

Veronica started walking. "Where's your truck ?" Dick grabbed her arm gently. "That way.." They started racing off, and she turned to Piz, before leaving the cafeteria. He was still on the floor, bleeding from his nose and a cut above his eye. He had a black eye coming up. Dick had a good punch, he hadn't left him time or room to fight back. She shook her head, lost. "Sorry.. I..." Dick grabbed her hand. "Come on." She turned and flew away.

¤¤¤

Logan entered the suite, sighing. It was silent, dark. _Aah, home sweet home. _He turned on the lights and rubbed his face, muffling a yawn. He walked slowly through the living room and opened the fridge. He frowned, he could have sworn there was three diet coke left before he left this morning. _Dick can't have drunk them... _He smirked at the idea of Dick being back to being sober 24/7.

He grabbed a bottled water and went to the couch. He looked around for the remote and spotted Dick's keys on the table. So, his bff had found his booty call for the night. He frowned, glancing at his watch. It was still early, why would Dick be home with a hot chick and ... silent ? He went over to Dick's bedroom and pushed the door, wondering if they would be asleep and if he knew the girl.

Indeed, they were sleeping. But everything else wasn't at all what he had expected. They were on top of the covers, fully clothed, and the girl wasn't sporting bimbo looks. They weren't even lying on the bed in the intimate/sexy way. The pile of pillow behind Dick's back made them almost sit.

Dick was holding a blond haired girl tenderly in his arms. Did he found the one ? Logan was happy for him if he had, until he registered the bloody knuckles.

The girl shifted and her hair dripped from her face. Logan's heart actually stopped beating. He watched Dick pulled her a little tighter into his arms and she quietly moaned in response, a faint smile flashing on her lips for a second. Dick pouted slightly and rested his head on her hair with a sigh.

Dick and Veronica. Veronica... and Dick. His brain wouldn't register that information.

Like a sleepwalker, he walked over to the liquor cabinet and dosed himself, making sure he was severely hungover when they filled him in whatever was going on.

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I'm working on a sequel. I might post it, you know what you have to do. It will be longer, with several chapters. It'll be DiVe oriented of course, but there will be everyone. I might even salvage Logan/Parker... It depends on how he deals... I vote yes, but give me your opinon. I'm curious.


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